Mechanical collator



April 8, 1958 w. E. THOMAS 2,829,8 8

MECHANICAL COLLATOR Filed March 22, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 .INVENTOR. Muswf f. raw/4s 35 m PW ATTORNEY W. E. THOMAS MECHANICAL COLLATOR April 8, 1958 3 SheetsSheet 2 Filed Marc h 22, 1954 INVENTOR. Flo/Ms W/ Bl/R E BY f PW ATTORNEY April 8, 1958 w. E. THOMAS 2,829,888

MECHANICAL COLLATOR Filed March 22, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. MIA/511 7 a. T/MMH ATTORNEY 2,829,888 Patented Apr. 8, 1958 fiice 2,829,888 MECHANICAL COLLATOR Wilbur E. Thomas, Packanack Lake, N. J., Thomas Collators, Inc., New York, N. Y., tion of Delaware assignor to a corpora- My invention relates generally to collating devices and particularly to a collating device to be operated by one person to eject a large number of sheets. I

It is among the objects of my device to provideian apparatus which will collate a large number of sheets within the convenient reach of one operator.

It is yet a further object of my invention to provide a collating device which will conveniently present a large number of sheets that may be handled by one operator.

Yet a further object of my invention is to provide a collating device which minimizes the possibility of misses or double ejcction.

Another object of my invention is to provide a collating device in which the ejecting mechanisms are in a continuous state of equilibrium and the ejection process may be stopped at any point for observation and checking.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a collating device which is relatively compact, rapid, efiicient and durable.

These objects and and advantages may trated in the appended drawings in which:

Figure l is a view in perspective of a collating device in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a top-plan view of the actuating mechanism;

Figure 3 is a side-elevational view of the rider element of the apparatus;

Figure 4 is a view in advantages, as well as other objects perspective of the shelf assembly;

Figure 5 is a view in perspective of an ejector;

Figure 6 is a view in perspective of a tray with backstops at an intermediate position; and

Figure 7 is a view in perspective of the reciprocating arm adjuster.

Referringnow to the drawings in detail, a housing 10 covers a frame 11 which has a cross-bar .14. A pair of foot pedals, 12, 13 are pivotally mounted at their lower ends on the cross-bar 14. At the top of each of the pedals 12, 13, an arm 15 extends outwardly therefrom. At the end of each of the arms 15, link members 16 are connectors and attach each of the pedals 12, 13 to a motion-translating lever 17. The lever 17 is pivotally mounted on a central longitudinal cross-member 18. The lever 17 will thus pivot backward and forward in correspondence to the movements of the pedals; i. e., when pedal 12 is depressed, one arm of the lever moves rearwardly and the other arm of the lever moves forward. By reason of the opposite link 16, the pedal 13 is raised. But when the pedal 13 is depressed, the corresponding arm of the lever 17 is moved rearwardly and the opposite arm of the lever 17is moved forwardly. The other link then serves to raise the pedal 12. The alternate depres sion of the pedals 12,.13 will serve to move the lever 17 back and fourth about the pivot pinr47. At each end of the lever 17, a link 19 is pivotally secured and the opposite end of the link is secured to the midpoint of a rider 20. This rider acts as a guide or positioning member as will be later noted. One end of the rider 20 has a bifurcated be achieved from the device illus ejection of such sheets this axle 48 on either side of the feed-arm 39. The feed-,

head 21 which engages with the slot or track defined between a pair of spaced longitudinal cross-members 22. A

corresponding rider 20 is also secured to the link 19 on the opposite end or" the reciprocating arm 20 and similarly has a bifurcated head 21 which engages with another track defined between another pair of spaced longitudinal crossmembers 22. The top of the rider 20 is attached to a central slot 23 in a yoke 24. The yoke 24 is a U-shaped member, each end of which is pivotally connected to an upright 25 that forms a part of a coordinator providing for simultaneous reciprocation of sheet ejectors for all bins of one of two stacks of sheet supporting bins.

The uprights 25 are each attached to linear ball-bearing sleeves 26 each of which rides on shaft 27. Between the uprights, five superposed bins 28 of one stack of bins are arranged. The bins or shelves 28 are U-shaped members secured together by corner-posts 30 in such a manner that there shall be a space In each of the spaces, cross-rods 31 are arranged to extend between and connected to the uprights 25. Thus, the reciprocating movement of the yokes 24 will cause a corresponding reciprocal movement ofthe uprights 25 and the cross-rods 31. Each to a bracket 65 bins 28.

It is to be noted that the bins are disposed at an angle of approximately thirty degrees with respect to the hori- Zontal. It has been found tion of bins requently permits the ejected papers to bend downwardly in such a manner that they are difiicult to grasp. On the other hand, with the bins 28 disposed at such an angle (which angle is not critical) the partially ejected sheets extend outwardly in such a manner that they are easily grasped by the person operating the collating device.

A further advantage is derived from such a construction in that the overall depth of the collator is reduced by reason of the angular disposition of the bins 28, thus making for a much more compact apparatus.

The bins 28 are preferably of such width that they may normally receive a pair of trays 32. These trays are U- shaped and they have a front lip or hooked edge 33 that Will engage the leading edge of each bin 28. Each of these trays is provided with a pair of back-stops 34 so that sheets disposed in the trays will be held in position. These backstops 34 are step-shaped members having a vertical portion, at thetop of which there is a forwardly extending bent-over portion 35 and at the bottom of which there is a rearwardly extending bent-over portion 36. The brackets 34 are welded to the trays 32 at the rear edge. Auxiliary trays such as the one illustrated in Figure 6 may also be provided with the back-stops 37 disposed a suitable distance from the rear edge of the tray, thus enabling the collator to be used with sheets of paper of varying sizes which may be shorter than the overall length of the tray 32.

A perfectly flat tray will ordinarily function as a support for sheet material and the ejecting mechanism will discharge such sheet material in a satisfactory manner. However, there are occasions when the ejecting mechanism does not satisfactorily engage the sheet material and the fails. It has been found that if either a longitudinal or latitudinal arch 38 is applied to the tray at the middle, ejection failures are substantially minimized.

The ejection of sheets from the trays is eifected by the ejector assembly which comprises a shaft 27 is secured at each end which is attached to the lowest of the each cross-rod 31 so that they may freely pivot about the rod 31. At each lower end of the feed-arm 39, an axle 40 is mounted. A pair of feed-shoes 41 are mounted .on

between each superposed bin.,

that the horizontol disposi-' feed arm 39 mounted ..on the cross-rod 31. Two feed-arms 39 are mounted on shoes are held on the axle 40 by cap nuts 42 but they may freely pivot about the axle 40. The feed-shoes 41 are U-shapedmembers having rearwardly cut-out portions 43, somewhat convexly arcuate in shape. At the front end off each feed-shoe 41, and frictionally engaged with the internal walls thereof, a pad 44 is mounted and extends, outside the-shoe at the bottom. This pad 44 is preferabl'y formed of a compressible material having a somewhatspongy texture and a high coefficient of friction so that upon movement of the feed shoe in one direction it will engage sheet material lying under it, and rather than slide. over it, will move the sheet material forward in an ejecting action, and upon movement in the opposite direction the feed shoe will tilt about the axle 40 and the cutaway arcuate portions 43 will slide along and relatively to' the uppermost sheet in the corresponding tray.

Attached to the feed arm 39 immediately adjacent to the axl'e40', a feed=shoe lock 45is secured to the feedarm 39 by a screw 46. This feed-shoe lock may be positioned. as shown in Figure and will limit the pivotal movement of the feed-shoes so that they may not accidently turn upside down and present their upper smooth face to the sheet material rather than the pads 44. Since there are two. trays 32. in each bin 28, each cross-rod 31 will serve to mount apair. of feed-arms 39 so that there will. be an ejector-feed assembly operating in each of the trays 32.

Some adjustment of the movement of the yokes 24 may be necessary. Such an adjustment is provided for by making the pivot pin 47 for the lever 1'7 adjustable. The pivot pin 47 is mounted on a bracket 48. This bracket 48 is, an. L-shaped member having a bent-over portion 51 at one end. At the oppositeend there is a slot 4?; adjacent to the. bent-over portion 51, there is a slot 50. The bracket 48' is slidably attached to the longitudinal crossmember 18 by a pair of bolts 52 engaged with the slots 49 and 50. An adjustment rod 53, having a threaded end 54, is engaged with the bent portion 51 of the bracket 48. The opposite end of this adjustment rod has a knob 55 mounted thereon. Adjacent to the knob 55 there is a threaded portion 56 which is in threaded engagement with nuts 58 adjacent to the front panel 57. Rotation of the knob 55 will cause a movement of the bracket 48 and a consequent movement of the pivot pin 47. The stroke of the lever 17 is thereby modified with a corresponding modification of the movement of the yokes 24.

The operation of my mechanical collatorv commences with the placing in each of the bins 28 of trays 32 having stops 37 positioned at suitable points to receive the size of paper being handled. The stops 37 are positioned so that the sheets of paper are held wellforward in the tray 32 with their front edges immediately adjacent to the turnedover portion 33. With each of the twenty trays, in position and loaded with sheets arranged in proper order for the collating operation, the operator is seated before the collator with feet on the pedals 12, 13. One of the pedals, before. any manipulation is commenced, will be noted to be raised and the other one will be noted to be lowered. The raised pedal is depressed by the foot of the operator. This effects the raising of the correspondingopposite pedal through the movement of the lever 17 and the arm 15. At the same time, the link 19 which connects the lever 17 to the yoke 24 causes the one yoke to move forward and the opposite yoke to move backward. The movement of the. yoke 24 causes a forward movement of one pair of uprights 25. This forward movement causes each of the five cross-rods 31, to move forward and correspondingly move the feed-arms 39. The feed-shoes 41 are also moved forward and the pads 44 engage the top-most sheet in therstack in each bin and move that sheet. forwardly in the tray until it protrudes a substantial distance from the tray. The arched portions 38 in each of the trays 32 encourages a positive engagement of the pads with the top-most sheet. The protruding sheets, at the conclusion of the ejection stroke, are found to extend forward from each of the bins and bent slightly downward so that they are in overlapping relationship With each other and may easily be grasped and simultaneously removed by the operator. The operator is confronted with ten sheets arranged in two groups of five each, the same having been extended from each of the stacks of trays. These sheets may be easily grasped at the. same time, five by the left hand and five by the right hand and withdrawn from the trays. The two groupsof sheets so held, may be superposed in appropriate relationshipv to each. other; and deposited on a tray or table. While this is being done, the operator, using. the other foot, depresses. the opposite pedal which produces a corresponding movement of the ejector assembly in the remaining ten trays. The same manipulation with the hands is repeated and the operator has collated twenty different sheets.

The present collating device will be seen to be utilizing independent movements of all four limbs of the collator operator in a highly efiicient manner. Unlike other collating devices, the present collator is in a constant state of equilibrium due to the total absence of springs or weights. Thus, at any phase in the down or up stroke of the pedals, the operator may stop the movement for a rapid momentary inspection to determine whether each of the ejector assemblies is performing its desired function and is not failing to eject a sheet from each of the trays.

The ejector assembly, in its forward movement, has the full length of the pad 44 in engagement with the surface of the top sheet in the tray. But when the ejector assembly moves rearwardly, the feed shoes rock back on their heels 43 and only the arcuate rear edges 43 may slidingly engage the top sheet in addition to a very minor line engagement of the rear edges of the pads 44. The forward movement of the ejector effects a full frictional engagement of the pad 44 to move out the sheets while the rearward movement of the ejector assembly produces a light sliding contact due to the tilting of the feed-shoes 41. The tilt contact is greatly facilitated by the angular disposition of the trays.

The foregoing description is merely intended to illustrate an embodiment of the invention. The component parts have been shown and described. They each may have substitutes which may perform a substantially similar function; such substitutes may be known as proper substitutes for the said components and may have actually been known or invented before the present invention; these substitutes are contemplated as being within the scope of the appended claims, although they are not specifically catalogued herein.

' I claim:

1. A mechanical collator comprising a frame, open end trays disposed on said frame in spaced superposed relation to each other, each tray to support a pile of sheets, an ejector located in each tray, a coordinator for all of said ejectors. comprising a guide rod mounted on said frame at each side ,of said trays and extending longitudinally of the lowermost tray, a sleeve slidable on each guide rod, an upright rigidly connected to each sleeve, a cross-rod mounted in said uprights and extending transversely of each tray for actuating said ejector, said ejector comprising a feed arm pivotally mounted at one end on each cross-rod'and having a feed shoe pivotally connected intermediate its ends to the other end of said feed arm, a friction pad secured to the bottom of the feed shoe forwardly of said pivotal attachment of the feed shoe to said feed arm, the end of said feed shoe at t he opposite side of said pivotal attachment being. cutaway and providing a convexly arcuate heel inclined upwardly and: away from said friction pad,'to provide for frictional engagement of said pad with the uppermost sheet of the pile in the corresponding tray upon movement of said feed shoe by said coordinator toward the open end' of the tray and to provide for tilting of said feed shoe to cause free sliding contact of said convexly arcuate heel with the uppermost sheet upon movement of the coordinator and the feed shoe in the opposite direction. 2. A mechanical collator comprising a frame, at least lever about its directions.

two stacks of trays disposed on the frame in side-by-side relation, eluding a plurality of trays arranged in spaced superposed relation, each tray to sup port a pile of sheets and having an open end juxtaposed an ejector reciprocable tive trays, frame at each side of each stack of trays, a sleeve slidable frame relatively to said stack of trays to vary the stroke of said lever and consequently the extent of movement of said ejectors.

said yokes includes a rider having a tion with the base of each U -shaped said riders are slidable, of said motion-translating lever to one of pin and slot connecyoke, guides in which and links connecting each end said riders.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

